Christmas Lights and Broomstick Flights
by Icy Stormz
Summary: Harry’s Christmas flying adventures go haywire across the English countryside, with only Ron and Draco to “look after him.” Post-flight fluff, anger and a side serving of DHr snogs ensue.


Title: Christmas Lights and Broomstick Flights 

**Author:** Icy Stormz

**Author email:** rliaw@decaxavier.com

**Category:** General

**Sub-Category: **Romance

**Rating:** PG

**Spoilers**: SS/PS, CoS, PoA, GoF

**Summary**: Harry's Christmas flying adventures go haywire across English countryside, with only Ron and Draco to "look after him."  Post-flight fluff, anger and snogs ensue.

**Pairings:** Draco/Hermione, slight Harry/Draco and Ron/Harry undertones.

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

**Author's Notes:** This is a short, pre-Christmas cookie that I wrote post-Christmas.  Is highly fluffy. 1, 787 words and un-beta'd so please pardon any errors.  Rating for curses (not of the magical sort).

The snow was falling heavily, nearly disabling them from seeing two metres ahead of them.  The only way the three men were visible to each other were from the stark black of their cloaks.  At the moment they were all standing next to each in a line, looking at the snow-covered Burrow.  Next to them was a large box; the contents of which were spilling over the sides.

"So, how are we going to do this?"  Harry asked, his hands on his hips.

"Why does your house have to be so tall, Weasley?"

"Stuff it, Malfoy.  You shouldn't be talking anyway; what my house has in height yours has in sheer size."

"So?  At least I know when my work is cut out for me.  Hanging Christmas lights at _every single floor_ of a seven-storrey house could be deemed as such.  Why don't you get a house elf out here to do it for us?"

"Because," Harry said exasperatedly, "there are no house elves and if Hermione found out we were dragging one out in the cold to hang the lights, she'd have our hides."

Draco cursed his girlfriend's overtly compassionate spirit.  "Then we'll use magic."

"That's no fun," Ron said.

"Oh no, it's not _fun._ Who cares if we're freezing our arses off as long as we're all having _fun_," Draco sneered sarcastically.

Harry rolled his eyes.  "Where's your ladder, Ron?"

"In the shed behind the house.  I'll come with you, if you'd like," he offered.

Harry had already started off to the back of the house when he called back, "Nope, that's alright, mate.  Stay there and keep Malfoy company."

"Git," Draco cursed under his breath.  He could feel his ears going numb…if it were possible to feel numbness.

Draco and Ron stood in silence, not bothering to make conversation.  Ron and Harry had made peace with Draco two years ago when Draco had withdrawn himself from fighting alongside his father and Voldemort in the war.  He hadn't exactly switched sides either.  That is, he didn't until he was bowled over by a troll in the Forbidden Forest the night he ran away from the Death Eater camp and had to be "rescued".  He flew head first into a particularly large tree and was knocked out cold until mid-morning the next day.  Whilst conducting a patrol over "their territory" in the Forest, Hermione and Ron found him lying face down in the dirt with a big blotch of crusty blood staining his blond head.  Ignoring warning signals, doubts, and Ron's reprimands, Hermione conjured a stretcher and swiftly made her way back to the Auror Camp in Hogsmeade, making a quick detour through Hogwarts to leave Draco in the Hospital Wing.

As a result, Draco grudgingly made nice to Hermione and her friends.  Hermione would check up on him often and during the time they spent together, they had grown on each other.  For a few months, Draco refused to have any part in the war but was found fighting alongside Harry, Ron and Hermione in the Final Battle.  He saved Hermione from being attacked from behind by Thadeus Nott and killed him.  Thereafter, he smote Lucius Malfoy.

"Harry, that isn't a ladder!" Ron called.

"I know!"

"Jesus Christ!  Potter!  Is that a broom?"  Draco called out incredulously.

"Yep!" Harry called back with a grin that was visible through the snow.

"What're you gonna do with that?" Ron asked cautiously.

Harry was still grinning.  "I'm going to fly up to each floor and hang the lights, idiot."

"The cold has addled your mind, Harry.  If mum sees you flying she'll murder you."

"Not to mention Hermione'll help," Draco added.

Harry shrugged all the comments off.  "I've flown in worse weather."

Draco crossed his arms.  "Fine.  It's your funeral.  I will have no part in this."

"_I'll_ go get the ladder," Ron said before Harry stopped him.

"Quit acting like I'm a first year.  Hand me a string of lights, Ron."

Ron sighed, defeated and handed Harry the lights.  He shot off from the ground and quickly went to work, attaching the lights to the side of the house with a strong Sticking Spell.  Draco had to admit, Harry was quite efficient; he had completed all sides of the house's first floor in only fifteen minutes.  Ron jogged to keep up with him and hand him more lights.

Harry had started on the second storrey when a gust of air blew him back a foot.  "You okay, Harry?" Ron yelled.

"I'm fine!"

Draco shook his head.  He also had to admit Harry was quite delusional and self-righteous.

Another gust of wind – larger than the first – took Harry by surprise as both his hands left the broom to stick on one section of lights.  Both his body and broom were blown far away to the right side of the house.  "Harry!"  Ron yelled, running out behind him.

Draco's eyes widened and he set off behind Ron.  Harry hadn't time to regain control of the broom before they both suddenly plummeted to the ground.  He was lucky he had fallen onto a patch of untouched powdery snow and not onto ice.  However, it wasn't in his luck that he had fallen onto a hill and was rolling down it.  Both Draco and Ron scrambled down the hill to get to him.  When they did he was lying on his back and laughing hysterically.  When Harry saw both Ron's concerned face and Draco's pissed off one it only fuelled his laughter.

"What the bloody fuck are you laughing about, Potter?"  Draco hissed.

"That was great!  It was like flying on a broom, but without one!"

"You could have broken your back!" Ron said.  He didn't know why he thought anything would happen to Harry; how many times had he fallen from fifty feet or higher onto solid ground and not been seriously harmed?  Too many times.  Ron broke out in a grin himself.

"Wait 'til I tell Hermione," Draco said and started to climb back up the hill.

Ron fetched the old Firebolt and gave it to Harry.  The pair of them then followed Draco, laughing all the way back to the Burrow.  As Draco was nearing up on the front door, he shouted, "Accio box!" and the box of lights flew to him.  He threw open the door with a scowl and dumped the box on the floor, kicking off his boots.

Hermione sat curled up at the end of the worn and battered couch in the Burrow's living room, closest to the fire, reading her book.  She heard the loud **bang** that echoed throughout most of the house and startled, she whipped out her wand and pointed it towards the entrance hall.  Exhaling loudly, she lowered her wand at seeing the disgruntled Draco.  "Something wrong?  You're back awfully early."

Still scowling, he dumped his sopping wet cloak onto the floor, not bothering to pick up after himself in someone else's home.  He plonked onto the couch and crossed his arms across his chest and ankles on the floor.  Hermione could hear the words "stupid gits" and "wankers" being muttered along with some other not-so-kind ones.  Before she could ask what was wrong again, she heard Harry and Ron chuckling as they entered the house.  Her eyebrows rose when she saw Harry covered head to toe in snow and his hair sticking up at even odder angles than was normal.  Both he and Ron had broad grins on their faces and said "'lo Hermione" one after the other once they saw her.

"Don't mind Malfoy, Hermione."  Ron said.

"Yeah, he doesn't know how to have fun," Harry added.

Draco glared at the two of them, "My idea of _fun_ does not include being blown halfway across English countryside and plummeting to uncertain doom."

"Spoilsport."  Harry muttered, making Ron snort as they noisily walked up the stairs.

Draco turned to Hermione to see her trying to hold back a grin.  "Are you laughing at me too?"

She chuckled.  "Of course not.  Except, you're rather funny looking when you pout."

"I'm not pouting."

"Yes you are.  See, you're doing it again."  She was received with a glare.  She patted the space on the couch between them and he scooted closer to her.  "You going to tell me what happened?"

"I don't see how you put up with them all the time.  They were going to put up the lights _manually_.  _Without magic_.  Then, Potter went to get a ladder but came back with a broom and proceeded to hang the lights while he was flying.  Then, being the ponce he is, he got blown off his broom and fell from fifty or so feet high.  And now all they can do is laugh."

Hermione grinned even more and ran her hand through his wet and cold hair.  "That's so cute; you were worried about Harry."

Draco looked absolutely appalled.  "I was _not_ worried about Potter."

"Have it your way.  I think it's adorable how you were worried about his well-being."

He continued to huff.  Smiling, she put her book on the coffee table and leaned towards him.  "Your cheeks and ears are so red."  She put her hands on both sides of his cold face and pulled him closer to her.

He raised an eyebrow, "Are you going to do anything about it?"

"Maybe," she said and touched her lips lightly against his.

Their mouths moved softly against each other in a sweet kiss.  Her hands moved from his cheeks to the sides of his neck, with her thumbs stroking his jaw.  Draco looped and arm around her waist but had to keep the other against the couch, due to their awkward position.  His mouth and breath were cold against hers and made the kiss much more different than any others they had shared.

"Crikey!"  Harry shouted in surprised.

Hermione and Draco jerked apart and turned to the source of the interruption.  "Merlin, what a way to ruin an appetite," Ron said, his eyes wide.

"Maybe if you too withheld from eating until it was actually suppertime then your appetites wouldn't be ruined," Hermione said matter-of-factly.

"If you're going to snog, do it in one of your own rooms," Harry started but caught himself and said quickly, "Wait, no, don't do that.  Just don't snog at all and everyone in this house will be much happier."  Muttering about the scandalous sight they had witnessed, the two men trundled back up the stairs.

Hermione gave Draco a quick kiss on the cheek and turned quickly around to face the fire.  He pulled her back towards him with his arm and they cuddled together, sharing both the fire and each other's warmth.

**_Fin._**


End file.
